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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Larry Jones pointing four horses for three Del ‘Cap weekend stakes

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, July 14 – Trainer J. Larry Jones will be pointing four of his horses to three Delaware Handicap Festival of Racing stakes this Saturday and Sunday. Jones is planning on entering Payton D’Oro in the mile and a sixteenth $250,000 Grade II Delaware Oaks on Saturday. On Sunday, he is planning on entering both Doc’s Friend and It Happened Again in the mile and a sixteenth $150,000 Grade III Barbaro Stakes and Warrior Made in the seven and a half furlong on the turf $75,000 Light Hearted Stakes.

In her last Payton d’Oro ran second in the mile and a sixteenth $125,000 Susan’s Girl Stakes at Delaware Park on June 20. Previously, the 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro had won four straight including the mile and and an eighth Grade II Black Eyed Susan at Pimlico on May 15. Her career record is four wins and three seconds from nine starts with earnings of $222,710.

“She is gonna be there. She is going to the Oaks,” said trainer J. Larry Jones. “It looks like hopefully we will have a good weekend with a dry track and all that. I do not think she really cared for the slop the last time out. So we are hoping that getting back on the fast track will be what we need to make our race. She is training very well and she came out of the last race in very good shape and we looking forward to see what she can do this weekend.”

Jones will be sending both Doc’s Friend and It Happened Again in the mile and a sixteenth $150,000 Grade III Barbaro on Saturday. Both horses faced each other in their most recent outing a mile and a sixteenth allowance test at Delaware Park on July 5. It Happened Again notched a 2-length over Doc’s Friend, but both beat older horses that day which has Jones excited.

“It looks we are probably going to run them both as it sets up right now,” J. Larry Jones. “They ran one-two against older horses last week. When a young horse can beat older horses that makes me feel really good about them. We have been real high on It Happened Again for a long time and Doc’s Friend has really become our now horse. He has really picked up his game since getting back to Delaware Park. Doc’s Friend has got enough speed and he will be up close and kind of guarantee himself a good trip. It Happened Again will have to work one out, but hopefully if he gets a good trip, he will be good enough.”

Doc’s Friend has a career record of three wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 11 starts with earnings of $97,200. It Happened Again has a career record of four wins, a second and a third from ten starts with earnings of $131,550.

Warrior Made will likely be his entrant into the seven and a half furlong on the turf $75,000 Light Hearted Stakes for fillies and mares on Sunday. The 3-year-old daughter of Holy Bull has yet to face older horses and has never raced on the grass, but Jones is excited about her chances.

“It looks like Warrior Made and I know she is going to be taking on older horses being a 3-year-old and that is going to be major task,” said trainer J. Larry Jones. “Plus, we are not sure if she is going to like the grass or not. But we are going to give it a try. We know the distance is good for her. She has been successful at a short two-turn race before at Delta Downs. We are hoping that is going to help her and we are going to get a look at her on the grass.”

Warrior Made has a career record of three wins, a second and three thirds from seven starts with earnings of $177,190.